Safety flushing apparatus



April 24, 1934. TRACY 1,956,087

SAFETY FLUSHING APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 24, 1934. J TRACY SAFETY FLUSHING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 20, 1935 April 24, 1934. J TRACY 1,956,087

SAFETY FLUSHI NG APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 24, 1934 STATES geese? PATENT QFFEQ SAFETY FLUSHING APPARATUS Application May 20, 1933, Serial No. 671,975

9 Claims.

This invention relates to safety flushing apparatus including a manually operative valve for controlling the fiow of water to flush a bowl, and has special reference to means for positively lock- 5 ing the valve against operation when the bowl contains an excess amount of water and further flushing operation might overflow the bowl.

An object of the invention is to provide equipment cooperatively associated with the flushing valve whereby, when the waste outlet bowl becomes choked or from other causes the bowl retains more than a predetermined amount of water, the valve will be positively locked against operation, thus making it impossible to open the 15 valve or to discharge into the bowl any substantial additional amount of water.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bowl designed and adapted for use in association with the safety flushing feature 20 of this invention or wide variations thereof.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the bowl, a portion of the bowl and other parts being shown in sec tion to illustrate more clearly the essential features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical front to rear sectional view 3 on the line 22 of Fig. 1 of the bowl and flushing mechanism and showing the valve locking device.

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the manually operative mechanism foropening the Valve.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line a4 of Fig. 3 and also illustrates the manually operative mechanism for opening the valve.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the passage from the tank to the bowl showing features of the locking mechanism for the Valve.

. Fig. 6 is a sectional view at right angles to that of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the bowl with parts in section.

Fig. 8 is an elevation showing the opposite side of the bowl from that shown in Fig. 7.

The bowl comprises an appropriately shaped wall 1 having on the inside of the rear portion thereof an upwardly and rearwardly inclined wall 2, the upper edge 3 of which determines the height to which the water will be retained in the bowl when the outlet passage 4 is open and unobstructed.

A wall 5 extends downwardly and forwardly from the upper rear portion of the bowl and in cooperation with the walls 1 and 2 defines the outlet passage 4. It is clear that, by this construction, water contained within the bowl may fiow under the lower forward edge of the wall 5 g and into the passage 4 and over the upper edge 3 of the wall 2.

The upper end of the wall 1 around the bowl includes wall structure 6 forming a tubular passage from which numerous openings or slots 8 open to the inside of the bowl adjacent to the walls 1 and 5, so that water discharged into the bowl through said openings or slots 8 will flush and wash the inner surface of the bowl and cause the water in the bowl to overflow the upper edge 3 of the wall 2 and be discharged through the passage 4.

Wall structure 9 is formed in integral connection with one side of the wall 1, thus providing a passage 10 having an opening 11 at its upper end into the passage 7, or communication to said passage 7, and having an opening 12 at its lower end into the bowl immediately under the forward end of the wall 5. As shown, the lower forward end of the wall 5 has an upwardly and rearwardly inclined extension 13 separated from the Wall 5 by a space into which the hole 12 opens.

a Wall structure 14 formed in integral connection with the rear portion of the wall 1 forms a chamber 15 from which a passage 16 leads into the passage 7 and into the opening 11 into the passage 10. Thus, when a suificient amount of water is discharged into the chamber 15, said water will flow through the passage 16 and into the passages 7 and 10 and will be discharged from the passage '7 into the bowl through the holes or slots 8 and from the passage 10 into the bowl through the hole 12.

Wall structure 1'7 is formed in integral connection with the wall 1 of the bowl and cooperates therewith to form a passage 18 having an opening 19 at its rear end into the chamber 15 95 and an opening 20 at its forward end into the bowl, preferably in front of the opening 12 from the passage 10. The opening 20 into the bowl is illustrated by dotted outline in Fig. 2 in order that the relationship of the 0penings l2 and 20 to each other and to the remaining wall structure of the bowl may be easily understood. It is now'clear that the passage 10 has its opening 11 near the upper end of the bowl and that said passage 10 inclines downwardly and forwardly to the opening 12 from said passage into the bowl; and that the passage 18 inclines to a slight extent downwardly and forwardly and forms communication from the lower end of the chamber 15 into the lower portion of the bowl. The

walls of the opening 12 may be inclined upwardly, if desired, so as to direct a jet of water therefrom upwardly toward the overflow edge 3 of the wall 2 to increase the syphoning effect caused by the inflow of water into the bowl.

A tank 21 is arranged and intended to contain the necessary amount of water for each flushing operation. A pipe 22 forms a passage for conducting water from the tank 21 into the chamber and is provided on its upper end with a valve seat 23. tion on the valve seat 23 to open position away from said valve seat as required to permit water to flow from the tank 21 through the pipe 22 into the chamber 15 and thence through the passages 7, 11 and 18 to flush the bowl.

A stem 25 has its lower end attached to the valve 24. This stem extends upwardly through a guide 26 and has its upper end engaged by a link 27 that is pivotally supported by a lever 28 which is operative to move the valve 24 from the valve seat 23 to permit a flushing operation. The lever 28 is mounted on a pivot 29 and has an extended portion 36 provided with slots through which the crossed arms 31 extend. The arms 31 are mounted on pivots 32 supported by a bracket 33 attached to a rocking rod 34 extending through the front end of the tank 21. Shoulders 35 are formed on the arms, 31 and will engage the lever extension 30 and thereby operate the lever 28 to open the valve 24 when the rod 34 is turned in either direction from its starting position. A handle 36 attached to the outer end of the rod 34 provides conveniently available means for rocking said rod. Extent of turning movement of said rod 34 is limited by a rigid abutment 37 extending between the lower portions of the arms 31 in position to be engaged by one of said arms when the rod 34 is turned in one direction and by the other of said arms when the rod 34 is turned in the opposite direction to limit extent of turning movement of said rod.

Water is delivered into the tank 21 by an inlet pipe 38 equipped with valve mechanism 39 of known or conventional construction operated by a float device 40 in a familiar way. When water is discharged from the tank 21, the float 40 drops and opens the valve mechanism 39 to admit water into said tank and, as the water in said tank rises, the float 40 is operated to close the valve mechanism 39 when a predetermined amount of water is in the tank, all of which is familiar.

My invention comprises a stem 41 having its upper end attached to the valve 24. This stem 41 extends downwardly through an opening in a plate 42. The plate 42 has a pair of-upwardly extended spaced arms 43 mounted on a pivot 44 supported by a bracket 45 attached in the tubular passage 22. Each arm 43 has an inward extension 46 in connection with its upper end adapted to be swung inwardly over a shoulder 47 rigid on the rod 41 to prevent said rod 41 from being raised and thereby prevent the valve 24 from being opened. The outer portion 48 of the plate 42 and arm 43 constitute an actuator that will move the arms 43 out laterally to position in which the projections 46 will not be engaged by the shoulder 47 but will permit free operating movements of the rod 41. However, the arms 43 may be moved inwardly to place the projections 46 above and adjacent to the shoulder 47 to prevent operation of the rod 41.

A rod 49 extends for sliding movements through a bracket 50. The upper end of said rod 49 is immediately below the part 48, so that when said A valve 24 is movable from closed posi rod 49 is moved upwardly it will engage the part 48 and thereby move the arms 43 to position in which the projections 46 are above the shoulder 47 and thereby prevent upward movement of the rod 41. A float member 51 is attached to the lower end of the rod 49 and is located within the chamber 15. The construction and formation of these parts is such that when the passage 4 is unobstructed and the water in the bowl extends only to the edge 3 of the wall 2, the float 51 is in its lower position and the projections 46 will not interfere with nor prevent free movement of the rod 41 because said projections 46 are out of position to be engaged by the shoulder 47. But should the passage 4 become obstructed and water retained in the bowl above the upper edge 3 of the wall 2, the float 51 will thereby be raised,

engaging the locking device comprising the projections 46 with the shoulder 47, and thereby positively locking the valve 24 in its closed position and preventing an effective operation of the flushing mechanism.

When the obstruction is removed from the passage 4, the water contained in the bowl will overflow the edge 3 into said passage 4, so that only the proper amount of water will be retained in the bowl and, when this occurs, the float 51 will descend and the actuator 48 will disengage the locking elements 46 from the shoulder 47 and restore the device to operative condition.

The foregoing description'of the mechanism includes a description of the operation and functions thereof which it is unnecessary to repeat. It is clear that the invention may be widely varied within the scope of equivalent limits without departure from the nature and principle thereof. I do not restrict myself unessentially but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a bowl to be flushed, a float chamber having a passage opening from the upper portion thereof into the upper portion of said bowl and having another passage opening from the lower end thereof into the lower portion of said bowl, a tank having a passage for conducting water therefrom into said float chamber, a valve controlling said passage, a stem attached to said valve and extending downwardly into said passage to said float chamber, manually operating mechanism attached to said stern for operating the same to open said valve, a locking device for engaging and holding said stem and said mechanism from operation to prevent opening of said valve, and a float device in said float chamber controlling said locking device.

2. A device of the character described comprising a bowl to be flushed and having an outlet passage, a wall integral with said bowl forming a float chamber having a passage from the upper end thereof opening into the upper portion of said bowl and having another passage opening from the lower end thereof into the lower portion. of said bowl, a tank having an opening for discharging water therefrom into said float chamber, a

valve controlling said opening, manually operative mechanism in said tank for opening said rift lit-J portion of said bowl, other wall structure integral with said bowl forming a passage opening from the lower end of said float chamber into the lower portion of said bowl, a valve controlling admission of water into said float chamber, manually operative mechanism for opening said valve, a lock for preventing operation of said mechanism, and a float device in said float chamber for operating said lock to position to prevent manual operation of said mechanism and thereby'prevent opening of said valve.

4. A device of the character described comprising a bowl to be flushed having an outlet passage, wall structure integral with said bowl forming a float chamber and a passage from said float chamber into the upper portion of said bowl and an additional passage from the lower end of said float chamber into the lower portion of said bowl, a valve controlling admission of water into said float chamber, manual mechanism for opening said valve, and mechanism operated by water in said float chamber for locking said mechanism against manual operation.

5. A device of the character described com prising a bowl to be flushed having an outlet opening, wall structure integral with said bowl forming a float chamber and a passage from said float chamber opening into the upper portion of said bowl and another passage from said float chamber opening into the lower portion or" said bowl and still another passage from the lower end of said float chamber into said bowl, a valve controlling admission of water into said float chamber for discharge into said bowl through all of said passages, a stem attached to said valve and extending toward said float chamber, manually operative mechanism for operating said stem, a lock movable into engagement with said stem, to prevent operation of said stem by said manual mechanism and a float device in said float chamber for moving said lock into engagement with said stem to prevent operation thereof by said mechanism to open said valve when said outlet opening is choked and said bowl retains an excess amount of water.

6. A device of the character described comprising a bowl to be flushed having an outlet opening, wall structure integral with said bowl forming a float chamber and forming a passage opening from the upper end of said float chamber into the lower portion of said bowl and forming a1-- other passage opening from the lower end of said chamber into said bowl, a wall integral with the inside of said bowl extending between the openings from said two passages into said bowl, a valve controlling admission of water into said float chamber, manually operative means for opening said valve, a float device in said float chamber, and a lock controlled by said float device to lock said valve against operation by said manually operative means when said outlet opening is choked and said bowl contains an excess amount of water.

7. A device of the character described comprising a bowl to be flushed and having an outlet opening, a wall integral with the inside of said bowl adjacent to said outlet opening, wall structure integral with said bowl forming a float chamber 'and forming a passage opening from the upper portion of said float chamber into said bowl below said wall, other wall structure integral with said bowl forming a passage opening from the lower end of said float chamber into said bowl in front of the lower end of said wall for conducting water from said float chamber when the tank is flushed and said outlet opening is open and for maintaining the water level in said bowl and in said float chamber at the same height when said outlet opening is closed and an excess amount of water is retained in said bowl, a valve controlling passage of water into said float chamber, manually operative mechanism for opening said valve, and a lock device actuated by water in said float chamber for locking said valve in closed position and against operation by said mechanism when said outlet opening is closed and an excess amount of water is retained in said bowl.

8. A device of the character described comprising a bowl to be flushed having an outlet opening, a wall integral with the rear inner portion of said bowl defining the inlet from said bowl to said outlet opening, wall structure integral with said bowl forming a float chamber and a passage from the upper end of said float chamber into the lower portion of said bowl adjacent to said outlet opening, other wall structure integral with said bowl forming a passage from the lower end of said float chamber into said bowl in advance of the communication from said bowl to said outlet opening for discharging water from said float chamber when the bowl is flushed and said outlet opening is open and for maintaining the water in said bowl and in said chamber at the same height when said outlet opening is closed, a valve controlling admission of water into said float chamber, manually operative mechanism for opening said valve, and a lock device operated by an excess amount of water in said float chamber for preventing operation of said mechanism and holding said valve closed when an excess amount of water is contained in said bowl and in said float chamber.

9. As an article of manufacture, a bowl of the character described having an outlet passage, wall structure integral with said bowl forming a chamber adapted to receive water to flush the bowl and forming a passage opening into the upper end of said bowl and another passage opening from the upper end of said chamber into the lower portion of said bowl, other wall structure integral with said bowl forming a passage opening from the lower end of said chamber and opening into the lower portion of said bowl, and I a wall integral with the inside of said bowl extending downwardly and forwardly and having its forward end between the openings from said passages into said bowl.

MICHAEL J. TRACY. 

